My question? Is
everything for sale? Are we going to barter our way to gluttony and
sell our souls for a pastry?

Today this email arrived from LinkedIN:"Dear
Harriete Estel,
I'm sending this to ask you for a brief recommendation of my work that I can
include in my LinkedIn profile. If you have any questions, let me know.

Thanks in advance for helping me out."Signature

At first I felt like I'd been hit with something like a "stupefying spell" from Harry Potter. Though I am aware of this person's jewelry - having seen it twice - I have never seen more than a couple of pieces. How should I respond? Is this the foundation for a recommendation if we have
never worked together? What would you do?

Being immersed in social networking is not enough depth to seek recommendations from people they don't even know personally. Will someone ask for the metaphorical five star review for their art or craft after a Like?

Once a year, it seems, I completely lose my voice due to laryngitis after a cold. It has taught me a valuable lesson. When I whisper, people whisper back. Even if I'm angry, my whispered words are repaid with a whispered response. In other words, whispering eliminates the possibility of escalating a difficult situation beyond a whisper.

I think that this idea could be applied to many situations, especially with online discussions that can easily be misunderstood. Whispering causes me to stop and think how to say what needs to be said as simply and clearly as possible. This "stop and think" mode also causes me to remove the emotional or extreme reactions. I realize that listening to the other person enables me to shape my comments to address their concerns, not just mine.

For some months, I have been appalled by the name calling, swearing, belligerent, and deliberately inflammatory comments that often arise in online discussions. The bitterness, rancor, devaluation, and harsh judgements appear in multiple locations, and in different networks.

Randy Cohen in his book BE GOOD observed that a "savage response" solidifies disagreement, makes enduring enemies, changes nobody’s thinking, garners no dinner invitations."

Cohen continues: "And so eventually I forsook the pleasure of the punch-up for another strategy: a soft answer turneth away wrath.”He says: “I began ignoring the tone of even the angriest e-mails and responding courteously to the sense of it. Just as an experiment. Often, even the author of a barbarous e-mail would then reply politely. Sometimes he’d apologize for his initial intemperance. My first, unworthy, thought, I’d hit upon a cunning way to make my tormentor feel guilty while I seized the moral high ground. Brilliant!”

“My second thought was to recall that Lincoln had invoked something similar in March of 1861, in his First Inaugural Address, in regard to a vastly graver conflict, urging “Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection,” and appealing to “the better angels of our nature.” Even for something as modest as an e-mail [or online] argument, that’s excellent advice.

Endorsement is not necessary, but if you agree with this post about online discussion etiquette consider sharing it on your social network, adding your own ideas in the comments, or adopting it as your policy.Politely,

Martin says: "I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of the unmerciful, self-anointed experts on either end of the spectrum who think nothing of dragging someone else down publicly and having their buddies cheer them on to boot. This is called bullying in my book and it really has to stop!"

CLICK on the links above if you don't know what I am talking about here. I continue to see images without the information required to attract anyone from that huge potential audience. They need some choice words to make the connection.

Standing out from the herd, or "Purple Cow" visibility, is about finding and developing an audience outside your familiar pasture. By this I mean outside your comfort zone or outside your normal audience. It could be anything or anyplace but it is reaching beyond your usual audience to find visibility.

For me building purple cow visibility is an adventure...and being willing to take a few risks. I can try just about anything for visibility once to see what happens (as long as it doesn't cost money). This is about finding those guerrilla marketing opportunities that are not obvious but might work.

In this post, I will share a recent "purple cow" example that I tried.

Colored Pencil Magazine was new to me, but the article included a link to my website and blog. This increased traffic. And more
traffic = higher search ranking for my site.

The next step is to leverage that first opportunity into another opportunity.

When the editor of "Colored Pencil" Magazine approached me about the shipping article, I realized that he might also be interested in my installation from Pencils. In subsequent communications, I reminded them again and included an image and a link to my website. This sculpture fabricated from pencils was a perfect purple cow for the magazine. Magazines are always searching for interesting content for their readers.

They jumped on the suggestion and now the installation Pick Up Your Pencils, Begin will be a featured article in an upcoming issue of Colored Pencil Magazine.

Will this generate an exhibition opportunity? Who knows, but it might. It sometimes takes years for exhibition opportunities to develop.

If I have learned anything in years of experience, it is to stretch for
every opportunity. Have your photos ready because
publishers always want them yesterday.

Will the article result in sales? or money? One never knows, but this was not my priority.

In my opinion, a purple cow opportunity can not be developed with a set expectation. Having a fixed idea for the outcome does not work? The possibility is your objective.

How can you make this work for you?Approaching Colored Pencil Magazine would be a great
opportunity for all those makers working in metal that use Prismacolor
pencils for a surface finish. Or what if you use work with colored pencils as your medium in a sculpture, as an image in your ceramics, or in your prints.

If you study your work, what kind of "purple cow" visibility would fit your work? What is your new pasture for opportunity and visibility.

In the "wild west" of the internet, search professionals AND Google refer to BAD & UGLY SEO practices as "black hat." Black hat reminds us of the bad guy that wears a black hat in spaghetti westerns (as in this photo above left from the movie "The Good, Bad, and the UGLY").

Black hat in regards to SEO is a person or approach that tries to manipulate search results or computer security.

Google updates its search algorithms to identify BAD & UGLY BEHAVIORS and counters them in a variety of ways including lowered ranking or even removal from search results.

What scares me
is that many artists and makers have been participating in behaviors (such as trading links or duplicate content)
that search engines now consider black hat. Be prepared to avoid reduced page rank.

Remove duplicate content from your website or blog. This includes duplicate page titles , duplicate meta descriptions, and even duplicate descriptions of similar items on your website. Search engines look at duplicate content as a SEO manipulation and 'black hat' practice. If you don't fix duplicate content on your website...the page may be removed from search results.

Remove any content you "copied" from other websites. This is also considered "malicious" duplicate content and it will hurt your visibility in search engine results.

Today's post is about "Image File Names for Better SEO" (Search Engine Optimization). Effective file names are essential for artists and makers who want others to find their images on line. A few simple techniques can improve visibility for your work. Here is an SlideShare presentation about naming files.

The video will automatically forward the images with the original audio recording. Just click on the "PLAY" arrow.

_______________Let me know what you think of this presentation or this format, or tell me how to make this better. I just learned how to convert PowerPoint to video with a recorded audio file by listening to Making Video from PowerPoint Presentations.

Know your digital image file extensions and how to use them? - See more at: http://askharriete.typepad.com/ask_harriete/2009/06/do-you-know-and-understand-your-digital-image-file-extensions-.html#sthash.xzA9zh4P.dpuf

Last week, I discovered a guide to images for social media titled: How to size images on social media: A cheat sheet. Usually it takes me multiple tries till I figure out what size image will work...a huge waste of time. Next time, I will refer to this chart.

This cheat sheet is a super fantastic resource because it removes the trial and error in creating a fabulous background or header. An eye catching image is a great
way to build visibility for your art or crafts creating a personal style across all platforms. For artists and makers this is absolutely essential!

Leave a comment, if you would like to share a social media TIP or TRICK.

"You link to me, I link to you." I've seen such requests to trade links frequently and everywhere.

Fine, great way to make friends, but bad news for your web site.This is serious.

The reality is that Google is getting smarter about search. They can now
figure out which links are relevant to your site, and which are not. Consequently, and with increasing accuracy, those superficial links that were merely traded are becoming more like little "white lies" -- and search engines are becoming more like lie detector machines.

There are three concepts to affect links:

Link Juice

Measure of credibility

Content

Link Juice"Link Juice" is an SEO concept. Think of your website as a container of juice. Links to other sites from your website essentially leak "link juice." This is especially true if the links are not perceived as relevant to the information presented. Thus a random link not relevant to your website is not working FOR your site. Instead it is working against your site by draining or leaking "link juice."

Measure of credibilityLinks to your site that are NOT relevant, important, or generating traffic are considered weak or bogus by Google. In fact, links to your site that are weak, not relevant or without authority may even have a negative impact on your website.

ContentLinks ideally should offer additional relevant content. Thus an article about fashionable hand knit scarves and current fashion trends that link to a knitter that makes fashionable hand knit scarves would be great. In this example, the content and link are relevant.

A link from your best friend who likes your work, but is otherwise unrelated, is not relevant content. A link like this may actually hurt your site as a weak leak and lacking authority. It could also hurt your best friend's site (because it is leaking their "link juice" as well).

In an age of information, search will become even more refined. Search will be more accurate. Search will discount superficial or fake links.

Lots of links to your site or from your site that are not relevant or content based information will not be considered credible. Trading links are like little white lies that just keep accumulating negative points. Links should be about content and based on merit, not trading links.

RECOMMENDATION:

Make sure your links are authentic and sincerely related to the content of your site.

Seek high quality links from relevant sites with high traffic.

Do NOT pay for links or trade links in the future.

Remove all weak or irrelvant links.

Below is a video from Google about links. Note that the speaker makes a specific reference to what Google calls organic links. The term "organic" (in regards to search) means naturally fitting into the context, not artificial.

Links need to relate to the content.Links that you buy or share are not organic. They will not help your SEO.P.S.Do not look at any information or YouTube videos about link building from before mid-2012 when Google Panda and Penquin algorithms changed search.

Artist and makers can be the Webmaster of their own domain. There are many free tools AND easy fixes that can improve the visibility of your art or craft reaching a larger audience. Just knowing basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) skills can make a difference in riding the long tail.

Understanding online tools is as
important
to the savvy artist as the paintbrush, scissors or saw. Improving web
site performance and SEO increases the
chance that your web site
will be found by customers, collectors, curators, writer, stores or
galleries.

The information is organized by category or topic. Basic
fix-its and best practices are at the top. More advanced skills are further down on the list. Just click on a link and start learning how to be a web master of your own domain.

Yes, this is too much work for one day...but try one post every other
day, or one a week. Subscribe to ASK Harriete for more SEO information coming soon. Take small
steps to the huge potential of the long tail.

SPAMDid you know Spam Comments Hurt Your Site? Yes, this is true, for lots of reasons, but all you need to know is don't leave comments with spammy links. This post explains why.

COPYRIGHT DATEYour next "fix" is to make sure your website copyright is up to date with New Day New Year 2013 Website Copyright. In addition to the legal protection copyright notice offers, no customer is going to feel comfortable buying from a site that looks like it hasn't been updated in years.

IMAGESImages are the foundation of visibility for all artists and makers. This is true for your entire online presence including 2.0 social networking sites along with your website and blog. It is incredibly important to do everything possible to give your art or craft the visibility it deserves.

EFFECTIVE URLsA URL is the address for each page on the web. Learn how to create the best URL for each page. Avoid URLMistakes I Have MADE by reading this post.

SITE PERFORMANCE
Did you realize that site performance affects your visibility in search results and customer satisfaction. Google uses 200 or more criteria, but one of their most important is speed in downloading the page, images, and original content. Artists and makers do not have to be professional level webmasters to make huge improvements in the function of their website.

REGISTER WITH WEBMASTER TOOLSVerifying your website with Google Webmaster Tools is an important steps that everyone can do. These free tools reveal
mistakes on your website that need to be fixed, and tons of information
about keywords and links to your website.

Don't let all the information overwhelm you. Tackle one problem at a time. Learn about one skill set and
apply it to your site....as you gain skill and familiarity.

META DESCRIPTIONSThe meta description is the information that shows up in the search results. It describes the information on each page. Create the meta description for better search results. REWRITE Short Meta Descriptions for SEO

Subscribe to ASK Harriete to learn how to become the webmaster of your own domain. More information is coming in the next few weeks.

Engage in the conversation.Leave a comment.(Comments require approval so give me a few minutes to post it live.)

Artists, makers, jewelers, metalsmiths, crafts person or creators can benefit from increased visibility as search is refined and original content is more important.
Advances
in search technology will also make images searchable in the future.
All of these reasons and more make optimizing your images, blog and website more
important than ever.

Scared to start SEO? Feeling overwhelmed, and out of touch? This information will get you started.

SEO isn't that hard to do. We will start with basics and very easy skills to improve visibility for
your work. Just knowing how to create file names for your images and website pages can make a huge difference.

Fundamental webmaster skills are well within your powers and can
improve visibility for images, blogs or websites.

ASK QUESTIONS LIVE during the show in the chat room. My recommendation is to register with Facebook. It is much easier and more reliable as the Blog Talk Radio site can be temperamental. Don't' wait until the show....as you will miss the interview.

ASK QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE EMAIL ME AT: harriete [at] sbcglobal.net

LISTEN to the RECORDED PODCAST later.

After the showthere will be an ASK Harriete post with links to the topics we mentioned for follow up & review.

My art business on Facebook is named "J Diemer Artisanry", and it is a page off of my main Facebook account "Joe Diemer". When setting it up it seemed Facebook wanted businesses and interests to be on a page, not the main name, but I've since seen many other artists just use their name - which makes an easy connection for others to find your work when you comment etc.

I've now got 178 followers on the J Diemer Artisanry page so I don't want to rock the boat, but wonder if it would be better in the long run to consolidate the two identities. What's your opinion? Convoluted problem! Take care,Joe Diemer

Joe, I struggle with the same question….but decided years ago to just use my name, Harriete Estel Berman as my Facebook presence. It has been impractical to clarify that the "artist
Harriete Estel Berman" is different than the personal profile of Harriete Estel
Berman.

Below are a few considerations that may factor into your decision.

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS:Is your Facebook profile really private? Not in my
opinion. Even if your "Privacy" setting is Friends, or Friends of Friends I don't
consider this private. Private on the internet is an oxymoron, but these other privacy settings do offer an allusion to privacy, and thus your Facebook page is NOT searchable.

All Facebook comments lead back to my Harriete Estel Berman Facebook profile.

A limit on friends. The downside with using my personal profile as professional is that there is supposed to be a limit on the number of friends....but, I will deal with that
problem later (3,000 "friends" so far).

Can you effectively manage a Facebook business page? A Facbook business pages is essentially another site. It doesn't do much good to have a Facebook business page without activity and regular posting with original content just like a blog. I don't know about you, but I am on internet overload already. There is no way to stretch beyond my website, blog and other social network.

Does a Facebook business profile offer the visibility you want for the effort?
A great point of debate. As far as I can tell Facebook visibility only extends to Facebook, so investing time in other social platforms and SEO for your website are equally or perhaps more important.

The PROBLEM with closing a business page:I don't know what you will do with all your followers if you close your business page. Practically speaking there is no way to consolidate your personal profile with the Facebook business pages other than just inviting your followers to be your friends.

ACTION PLAN:If you are going
to use your personal Facebook page as your public profile, CHANGE YOUR PRIVACY SETTING to PUBLIC and behave accordingly.

PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL, PASSIONFor me, there is no separation between personal and professional. Only a limited amount of my private life is on Facebook for this reason. This is mostly a reflection of my workaholic focus. My profession as an artist, is also my passion as a person.

A reader asks:Do you have any tips for coming up with an effective Instagram user name? I don't know much about Instagram but feel that it may be a good business move. I make elegant household accoutrements such as birdcages in stainless steel wire.

Here are what seem (to me) to be my options:

My name, "JoeDiemer", which is available.

My clunky business name "JDiemerArtisanry", which is also my Facebook page name - continuity.

A descriptor of what I do: "Handmade Birdcages", which is also my website name - again continuity. (Unfortunately I named my site back when I mostly made birdcages. Now I make many different things.)

Joe,Thanks for your question.My professional recommendation is the following priorities:

Consistency across all platforms (best as possible).

Using your name as your artist identity.

Consistency across all social networking, 2.0, and photo sharing is sometimes challenging depending on the number of characters allowed or the format. Just do the best you can.

Using your name as the artist identity will be the least likely to change over the years, building momentum across media and with different occasions like interviews, conference lectures, workshops, teaching positions, work included in books, magazines, or blog platforms.

Facebook and LinkedIn and
many other social networks actually
allow for a unique URL based on the person’s name. If you have a common name try a middle name, middle initial or some kind of special moniker.

Having a URL that is
consistent with your name is a desirable option across all platforms. Creating a consistent identity across platforms is
important.

A dash between each word of your name is better than all one words, but this may not be possible on some social networks. Do not use a underscore between words as it is very often missed when a hot link is underlined.

As an illustration below
is a list of a few of my social networks.
There is some variation depending on the limitations of each site, but
you will see that I have created a reasonably consistent identity across platforms

My twitter profile name is not as good because they didn't allow a long URL. http://www.twitter.com/harrietee . Sometimes I am forced to go with the harrietee version of my name. Very few people spell Harriete with an "e" on the end.

Adding Rel="author" to your website or blog takes several steps and it is confusing....this is why I broke it up into several posts. It takes multiple steps to make rel="author" work, but the outcome is improved visibility and credibility as the author or artist for the content on your site. Go back to the previous posts if you missed a step.

The important nugget is that for every website or blog you need to add Re="Author". I am going to review the first 3 step all discussed in a previous posts.

STEP 1.You must have a Google + profile. No getting around this. It is a must. Google is not going to give up trying to push it's own social network. It doesn't mean you have to be active on it all the time, but you have to have a Google + profile.

My signature now links to the "about" page on my blog and tells Google search who I am. I used the "about.html" because my Typepad has an "about" page. (The link is in the left column below my profile picture. Maybe your blog has an "about" page or something similar?

_______________________________

On my website....I linked to my resume* page....because that is where I put the link to my Google profile. (*Just so you understand...I used my resume page on my website...because I don't have an "about" page on my website.)

She says, "If you are not already using rel="author" (or don't even know what it is), you are doing a huge disservice to your website and all of your online marketing efforts. I heartily suggest reading this article ASAP, but more than that – implement it already!"

A Google + profile is a must for all artists and makers.This has nothing to do with whether you want to participate in another social network. Google+ is a tool, just like any other in your studio.

Even if Google+ may never be the Facebook it wants to be, Google is making Google+ an internet networking obligation because (as mentioned in the previous post) Google is connecting your Google+ profile to search results.

If you want improved visibility for your website or blog in search results, put the rel="author" in the HTML for your website and blog. I know that sounds challenging but it is within your skill set as a webmaster of your own domain.

The first step is creating a Google +profile (if you haven't done this already) and complete your profile information.

MOST IMPORTANT, under Contributor... (scroll down to find Contributor in your Google + profile)....

ADD your website and blog under the Contributor heading as your first step to adding Rel="Author" for improved search results. Tomorrow's post will take you through the next steps. Harriete Estel Berman

P.S. I also recommend adding all your other social networks in your profile. (An example is shown below.)

The internet of the future is about authenticity and original content. This is why Google wants to know if you are the real author of your website or blog.

This is written as rel="author" in the HTML code and is one of the new (beta) criteria that Google search is using for determining search results.It could be seen as a way for Google to push itsGoogle + social network (my Google+ profile is shown above). Or it could an effort by Google to screen for spammy sites on the internet.

The impact: Since Google controls a huge percentage of search results....either you participate on the internet by their rules, or you risk poor placement in search results.

The positive sideis being up to date on currentand future trends in searchcan boost the visibility of your art or craft.

Absorb the information and consider what Google is trying to accomplish with this approach. Keep in mind that this is the future of the internet and should be a strategic part of your internet planning.

Below are the current search results for my name with the addition of rel="author" to my sites.

Note that my Google + profile automatically is shown on the right side of the search results.

Looking more closely at the search results(shown below) you see a small gray silhouette icon next to the entry.

The silhouette icon is next to search results for posts or entries with verified authorship. To add rel="author" to your sites you need to verify your site(s) with Google Webmaster Tools.

As stated in the video, verifying your website on Google Webmaster Tools does not impact search, but fixing mistakes on your website (that Google Webmaster Tools helps you find) will improve your website performance and improve your visibility in the future.

If you have not yet verified your web site or blog with Google Webmaster Tools this is highly recommended for improving performance and search. Did You Register Your Web Site on Google Webmaster Tools? will help you step by step. It is worth the effort. These internet skills build on one another.

The next posts will help you link your Google + profile to the content you create.

Webinar participants will be able to view the instructor and Powerpoint presentations in real time via their computer, as will as submit their own questions and images for review by the instructor, much like the students who attend the class in San Francisco. Because this is the first time Revere has offered a webinar class, the $79 is a special, one-time introductory price for the class.

Webinar participants are required to have a computer with a high-speed internet connection. To register for the webinar, call 415-391-4179.

Appropriate for all media, this two day intensive workshop with Harriete Estel Berman will provide tons of information to super charge your professional development and gain from my 30 years of experience.

Learn how to use the power of social networking, blogs, and web sites to develop visibility and get your work noticed. Other topics will include maintaining proper records for the IRS, managing inventory, how to update your resume, and evaluate and upgrade your photos.

We can cover anything you want. Your questions can guide the topics to be covered.

Delivery of work in person Shipping – One of a kind work Unpacking & Display instructions To Display Packing and Shipping Maintenance Instructions Shipping CONDITION REPORT SIMPLE PACKING LIST

Profit or Loss? What are your options? Do you act like a business? Expense record examples. 3 rules to test deductibility Expertise? Time & Effort? Track record Record of sales Do you act like a business? I.R.S.

COPYRIGHT & Fair use

www.you Website resources Web what you need to do and why Blogs - blogosphere Basic SEO to implement

Seppuku is a form of Japanese ritual suicide performed in front of spectators. I don't want to go into the gory details, but it is self induced and fatal. It is a apt metaphor for this recent email marketing attempt shown below. As my son would say, "fail." The email was obviously sent out to a large number of people. There was no text in the email, no helpful subject line, no hello in the body, no "how do you do". My name was also spelled wrong.

It was as rude as it gets. Even worse this email with no explanation had files and links attached:

5 html links

12 htm links

4 JPGs (without titles)

7 MB of PDFs

What ever happened to a personal note? An introduction?

If it is spam, good riddance. If it is someone's attempt to mass market, it is an example of social media marketing suicide.

I won't open it and would strongly recommend anyone else to not open such an email.

I wrote to the person asking why he sent such an "oblique" email message. Above was his reply with spelling errors and no further explanation.

Hi Harriete:I just delivered a large commission for a customer - my first commission through an art consulting firm. It was for a celebrity / well known TV personality. My portfolio is obviously my means of representing my work. However, I was told I could not publish on my website or Facebook, etc., any photos of this piece until they publish it first, either on the designer's website or they are working on getting the home featured in Architectural Digest or other magazine such as that. However this could take up to 6 months.

What are your thoughts on artists rights to publishing images of their own work, etc?

I realize that having my work possibly in a magazine is worthy as well, but if that doesn't happen, I have missed out on 6 months of potential exposure and possible similar work.

I have never been asked this before so I don't want to make a big deal out of it, but what do you think?

Is there anything I can add to my commission contracts in the future to protect myself on this issue in the future? I have attached some photos of a large piece I did a couple years ago that is similar in nature.

Debra,Did you have a commission contract? These issues (if they are important to you or important to the client) should have been specified in the contract. Contracts help clarify expectations. Clear communication with the client is most important.

They are asking you to hold off, which may lose some opportunities during this period, but they are offering some significant potential as well. So it sounds more like a business decision. If you really think that they can get your work in a major magazine (like Architectural Digest), I'd give them time. Your work will still be fresh to new eyes in 6 months.

Legally, if this request is not specified in the contract, you can do as you please. However, if you publish now despite their requests, you might gain a reputation of being uncooperative. On the other hand, if they unreasonably string you along for months and months (beyond six months), they would lose credibility and I would get back on track with your images on Facebook and elsewhere.

In the meantime, can you make another piece to promote or blog about other aspects of this commission? Are you allowed to talk about working with this client? Or can you discuss ideas and the experience that you had with this type of high profile commission (not naming names of course.) Perhaps you would like to write about doing a celebrity commission and the pros and cons. Lots of people would love to hear from your experience. (I could publish some of this on ASK Harriete so other people can learn from your experience.)

In preparing for future commissions, it is close to impossible to anticipate everything. Each commission will be different when we are working with new clients, new commissions and different circumstances. Each time we hope to learn a little more from the experience.

Even in the one of a kind exhibition world, the work may be finished for months, even 6 months in advance, before the exhibition opens and promotion for the show begins. Usually, the artists can talk about the work, but many times it is worth waiting. When the exhibition opens, there is much more publicity coming from many different sources all creating momentum for the work in the exhibition, the exhibiting artists and attendance in the exhibition.

I think the speed of our daily lives and the Internet makes us think that promotion has to happen the second our work is finished. This is a misleading concept. You will have months to promote the work. If the work is really good, it may become your signature work included in books, magazines and blogs for years to come.

If any one else has an opinion about this topic, please leave a comment.

Professional Practices in San FranciscoProfessional Practices with Andy Cooperman and Harriete Estel Berman will include a short presentation by Andy and myself. Then we will jump right into questions and answers by asking each other a couple of tough questions about the "road to success".

Hansen says: "If you’re looking for kickstarter advice, ... this article should answer any questions you might have about how to run an effective campaign."

Hansen says he has helped projects "...featured all over the web, from Wired to CNN, spurred along by social media engines like Twitter and Facebook and an army of fans. Two projects are in the Kickstarter top 20, one is in the top 5 (most donated), and one recently earned an 2010 Kickstarter award."

He tells it like it is and I believe he is right. This article reveals that a great story is paramount, along with advocates & evangelists who will promote your project with an unceasing, unrelenting regularity to everyone you know with every possible vehicle asking for help through Facebook, Twitter, press releases, blogs, magazines, television, i.e. everything.

A KICKstarter campaign requires a HUGE INVESTMENT OF TIME, and a lot of great writing with aggressive marketing.

It helps a lot if your project is aligned with interests of the KICKstarter audience (mostly young adults) who spend a lot of time online (such as gamers or zine fans).

The audience for your KICKstarter project should be comfortable with social media. Arriving on KICKstarter for the first time in shock -- like my father, is not helpful.

Can you blog and write about your project constantly?

Your will need either viral marketing to propel your project or a huge social network.

Does your KICKstarter project offer a reward with a retail value equal to the contribution to KICKstarter?

I jumped into KICKstarter with a noble goal and naive optimism. Noble goals alone don't go very far on KICKstarter.

KICKstarter is just like all the other social networking sites....each one has formatting tricks to learn. The HELP menu on KICKstarter is kind of confusing and not comprehensive. It took me days to figure out how to add images to my "story". The secret was.....FLICKR.

In the "story" option for your KICKstarter project there is a place to insert an image, but it asks for a URL. The images are not uploaded to KICKstarter, the images must be hosted on another site. Flickr or Photobucket were listed as options.

Next problem, how to find the URL of a Flickr image. The URL must have a image file extension like JPG or PNG. Knowing how to find the URL for an image can be a handy skill. It works for Pinterest too.

BELOW are instruction to find the URL of an image.

1. Pick an image on Flickr that you want to copy and paste into your story.

2. CLICK on the Flickr image.

3. RIGHT CLICK on the image pick a size of the image... I suggest Medium or Large.

TIP: The instructions on KICKstarter say "Copy Image Location" but no such phrase or terms were used on Flickr, so it was really confusing.

Doing a KICKstarter project the first time is a real challenge. There is so much to learn to create a successful project but it seems there are people that do repeat KICKstarter projects (one person I found had founded 72 projects)!Harriete Estel Berman

One KICKSTARTER requirement is that you MUST link to your Facebook personal profile, not your business page. Yes, indeed, your Facebook Personal Profile is now professional as well.

This is what KICKSTARTER says:

"If you're a creator, it's a great way to let backers know a little bit more about you. It doesn't mean you have to accept random friend requests or make your entire profile public, but it's an easy way to show backers you're a real person. You can also adjust the privacy settings of your Facebook account to better control what new visitors see."

REALITY CHECK: Your Facebook personal profile needs to be managed as if you were cautioning your teenage son or daughter about what to post on line. Everything seems to be moving to a level of transparency in the Internet community. Control of your privacy starts with what you post. And Facebook is never particularly private despite "privacy settings."

Recently, I heard that employers are asking for Facebook profile passwords. In other words, they want to "see all" about their prospective employees. While of course you could say "no", if you wanted a job in this tough economy, wouldn't you say "yes".

My decision long ago was to keep my Facebook personal profile as a professional page. Everything posted on my Facebook is what I want everyone to see because privacy on the Internet is non-existent.

My March 2012 experiment with KICKstarter was a real awakening, a roller coaster ride on the learning curves of two new worlds -- entering an unfamiliar social networking domain of the internet's long tail, and the world of documentary video production.

For four years, I felt like I was limping along on the pencils. I couldn't work on it every day. Shows came up that needed new works to be made. Making work to sell gets in the way. Life gets in the way. But I'd force myself to work on it every chance I could.

And I would torture myself as well. Making a sculpture 28 feet wide and 15 feet tall from pencils is ridiculous! How will it look? Will it hang as planned? Will it ever get done? A combination of the simplest of art media - a pencil, a little thoughtful engineering, and tedious hours of assembly. But the vision of a hand crafted work to carry a message that the arts have a value and place in education AND that standardized testing has become overemphasized in education kept me going.

I naively started the KICKstarter project and already learned an enormous amount. Each media and every social network has its own learning curve...so does KICKstarter. Reading the HELP menu doesn't adequately prepare you for what it takes to run a successful project on KICKstarter.

Before you start KICKstarter project be prepared with a lot of research, in advance. During the project, it requires a huge investment in developing momentum and visibility.

Interviewing for a video editor positionhas been an eye opening experience. Looking at 20+ resumes in less than 24 hours from one job posting has given me real insight to a successful reply for an opportunity.

After an afternoon of interviewing editors for a "phase one" video, these are my observations for what a great reply looks like (perhaps for any opportunity).

1. Personalize the reply. Briefly make a case about why you want to work on the job, be in the show, or why this opportunity resonates with you.

2. Describe the job skills you have that fit the job.

3. Respond immediately. Don't wait. There may be so many other applicants for the opportunity that the requestor may stop looking.

4. If a phone number is included in the opportunity, phone immediately.

5. If the email is included, email immediately.

6. If the phone and email are included, do both. It shows you are really interested.

7. Include links to previous projects, artwork or other information that is relevant. An online presence including a web site is essential. Include multiple links if you want, but if you don't include this information right from the beginning your introduction seems incomplete.

8. Include your resume either in the email or as an attachment (even if they didn't ask for it).

9. Include your email address and phone number in the body or signature of the email. Yes, I know the email is at the top, but if a person is overwhelmed by the responses, it is very hard to keep track of everything. By including your email and phone number, it will be easy to contact you during the decision making process.

In the process of producing a video, I have to hire a lot of help. A $5,000 grant from the Applied Materials Foundation through the Arts Council of Silicon Valley certainly helped to pay for superb talent to video tape and produce a video of the Pencil Symposium. To satisfy the grant requirements, this segment must be completed by April 30. Yikes.

So this morning I placed a job offering online with BAVC. I had no idea what to expect. I wanted to find an editor who is willing to work within the budget and continue working with me later on a more in depth video to be funded by my KICKSTARTER PROJECT. If the KICKSTARTER doesn't reach its goal, I will need a Plan B.

WOW! Within a couple of hours the response was overwhelming as a dozen people responded -- with some truly amazing candidates. The upside: lots of options for selecting an editor. The downside is more than seven hours spent on interviews and watching online videos.

I am going to share an amazing video"Creating the Nebula". The video is on Wired web site. CLICK on the previous link and watch it. You won't believe this kinetic sculpture in the Hilton Anatole hotel lobby in Dallas, Texas. Edited by Michael Lennon. He edited this video (with two other editors) from 1,000 hours of footage. The video reveals the design and fabrication process.He is one of four top candidates.

A KICKSTARTER project has been launched to raise the $10,000 needed to cover the video production expenses. I already have 10 hours of raw video footage, and only need 5 hours more, to prepare for the editing, color correction, custom music, and seemingly endless other technical details.

This KICKSTARTER project is very scary. All or nothing is the structure on KICKSTARTER. If the funding goal is not reached no money changes hands and the pledges are never called. I need some thick Rhino skin to withstand the tension.

25 days left to raise the money for video! In the meantime, each day (if I can) I will share professional obstacles, issues, and observations about 1) producing a video and 2) working with KICKSTARTER.

Recommendation to All Artists and Makers:KICKSTARTER is not for the thin skinned or faint of heart. Wearing rhinocerus hide is definitely the new black!

This KICKSTARTER project is perhaps the most uncertain thing that I have ever done, but crowd source funding is dependent on everyone helping a little to bring a big project to fruition. In this case, I am asking the arts community to support the making of a video.

The video Pencils Make a Point is about the impact of standardized testing on education and raises a voice for the arts in education.

The goal is to raise $10,000 to cover the production of the 8-10 minute video. If everyone on "Crafthaus" and my Facebook friends each give $10 the goal will be achieved. That is what crowd sourcing is all about!!!!!!! So far I have recieved $480.

If the $10,000 goal is not achieved on KICKSTARTER, no one is charged for their contribution. I also don't get any of the money. Poof! The project disappears. There are 26 days to bring this project to the goal.

Please share with you friends and family. The success of this entire project depends on you.

During this 30 day campaign on KICKSTARTER, I will share the experience of making a documentary video, working with online sites, and tips you can use yourself in professional development for your own work.

All of the donations go to funding the expenses in producing a professional quality video such as camera operators, audio recording, video footage, editing, and music. Video is a very expensive medium usually costing $3,000 to $5,000 per minute. It is team effort. No wonder Hollywood budgets are so huge!.

So far the project has had great success with a two page article in American Craft and a grant for $5,000 from Applied Materials Foundation for the Arts Council of Silicon Valley. (More information about this in another post.)Please become part of the success with your donation.

For twelve years I have shared my "lessons learned through experience" in the Professional Guidelines, the Professional Development Seminar, and ASK Harriete. My goal is to help others succeed in their professional careers bringing their work to a larger audience.

I am also taking a class on making Documentary Videos. My mid-term exam is tomorrow.

With full submersion into documentary video's I have watched quite a variety recently, and have gained new insight into the difficulty and demands of this medium.

Here are two suggestions for inspiring and insightful videos about the arts.

Pina This film may still be at your local art house film theater as it was nominated for an Academy Award. See it on the big screen in 3D. Go to be inspired by one person's vision of artistic expression captured in an extraordinary dance documentary directed by Wim Wenders. If you love modern dance, you'll like it even more. Be prepared for seeing something you have never seen before far beyond average or predictable.

Herb and Dorothy This unassuming film proves you don't have to have big bucks to support the arts. A postal clerk and a librarian, devoted to the arts and to one another, acquire art from emerging artists before they become famous. Piece by piece, year after year, they assemble a world-class contemporary art collection that overflows their small rent-controlled apartment. Eventually, the collection outgrows their modest home, and they share their collection across America. They gave their collection away even though it was worth millions because the value of their art collection was not about money. They did not want to sell their soul.

Much to my surprise, the film was funded through KICKSTARTER.

Both of these films show that art can be about inspiration, insight, sincerity and soul.

Much discussion is going on about Pinterest. The opinions are widely mixed. While Pinterest is a delightfully engaging web site, I am very concerned about a number of surrounding issues. These include but are not limited to:

The fine print on indemnity under Terms of Use regarding copyright and permission to post images;

The apparent disregard by pinners in failing to include the artist's name, complete description, photo credit and most importantly, a link to the original source.

My practical advice is highlighted in beige (below). IF you want more background about the Pinterest controversy, keep reading.

I think everyone should consider an account with our without pinning. Do not delete your account. Advice from Tom McCarthy on Crafthaus is well reasoned. He says: "I made a mistake when I deleted my Pinterest account. I will be rejoining. Not to re-establish my boards, I still don't want to pin. But having an account will allow me to correct any misinformation on pins of my work to a limited extent. Without an account I can view the activity but not comment on it. I'm not advocating hiding from the issue in my studio. I just don't want to invest my time in their game. Member complaints will probably also mean more to Pinterest than "outside agitators.""

Here is a brief summary of the issues with Pinterest. With Pinterest, anyone can copy, pin, repin, anyone’s images without skill, without the title of the work nor artist's name, no description and sometimes without a link back to the original source. It is soooo easy.

While posting of images was possible before on other social networking sites, it was not the primary activity. The difference is that the "pinners" now have a highly visible place to put the "pinned" images on their PinBoard.

Pinners feel that their pinboards are an act of creativity, organization or identity for the pinner. The images are a reflection of their tastes. The pinner is now a “collector”. A collector of images, but a collector all the same. They can create an identity for themselves on line through other people’s creativity, design or artistic expression.

While most of the pinned images in the past were consumer items and recipes, the dynamic of posting images of photography, art and craft is growing quickly as artists and makers seek visibility and links to their web site or Etsy shop.

John Roses says:Data – your data – is the currency of the 21st century. Billions of dollars are spent collecting it, and multi-billions are made selling it. Who controls information about you, and who can profit from it is the new Wild West. This also has far reaching ramifications for artists and makers, specifically on the issue of control and right to compensation for the use of images of your work.

There has been a lot of talk about Pinterest of late. It is the newest shiny bauble on the social networking scene. Artists (some, anyway) love Pinterest because it seems to shower free attention on a lucky maker. We love free and we love attention. But nothing is really free and some of the more astute makers are already saying “Wait a minute… what’s that tucked down there in all that legal terms and conditions."

I am looking for practical solutions for artists and makers. Here are two issues that need to be addressed by Pinterest.

Above is an image of Pin Etiguette #2 and #3

Pin Etiquette #2 says:"Credit Your SourcesPins are the most useful when they have links back to the original source. If you notice that a pin is not sourced correctly, leave a comment so the original pinner can update the source. Finding the original source is always preferable to a secondary source such as Google Image Search or a blog entry."

Right now the Pinterest Pinboards are sloppy at best. It is objectionable that many images are not linked back to the original source, but go to an empty Google search page.

Pin Etiquette #3 says:"Avoid Self PromotionPinterest is designed to curate and share things you love. If there is a photo or project you’re proud of, pin away! However, try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion."

The reality is that the makers of art or craft or photos own the images. So either I break the law through copyright infringement when I post other people's art or craft (read the Pinterest Copyright & Terms of Use), or I need to ask permission for every image posted (recommended), or I break the Pinterest code of etiquette and only post my own work.

One of the problems with Pinterest is that people look around the Internet to find images for posting on their pinboards. This "pick up and post" images is not unique to Pinterest. There are plenty of blogs that look for images to post with content. Beware! Here is a Legal Lesson Learned: Copywriter Pays $4,000 for $10 Photo.

Think about the ramifications .... lots to discuss and consider though the unique aspect of this article was that the photo was officially copyrighted. Not everyone is applying for a copyright on every image. (While everyone has copyright for their work, you can't take your case to court without a registered copyright.)

I find the concern about posting images that you don't own as a serious issue.

On the one hand, asking permission for posting images is a good idea, but, on the other hand, it is a real pain. Imagine the time needed to find the email of each artist, compose an email to ask permission before posting, and waiting for a response.

What should I do? At fist Pinterest seemed like fun. That was a week ago when I experimented for the day. Since last Friday, I am seriously reconsidering the whole premise.

BELOW IS ONE SEGMENT OF THE FINE PRINT ON Pinterest:You acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for all Member Content that you make available through the Site, Application and Services. Accordingly, you represent and warrant that: (i) you either are the sole and exclusive owner of all Member Content that you make available through the Site, Application and Services or you have all rights, licenses, consents and releases that are necessary to grant to Cold Brew Labs the rights in such Member Content, as contemplated under these Terms; and (ii) neither the Member Content nor your posting, uploading, publication, submission or transmittal of the Member Content or Cold Brew Labs’ use of the Member Content (or any portion thereof) on, through or by means of the Site, Application and the Services will infringe, misappropriate or violate a third party’s patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, moral rights or other proprietary or intellectual property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy, or result in the violation of any applicable law or regulation.

The relevant issue here is that I AM NOT the sole and exclusive owner of images I "pick up and post". I can not guarantee that the images I post will not "infringe, misappropriate or violate a third party’s patent, copyright,..".

The other day, I removed images that I had posted on Pinterest. Why? I realized that I didn't own the images and hadn't asked permission from the photographer. With some effort, I found the photographer and his response was that I needed permission from Getty Images. My next step was removing the images.

I don't have any answers right now, but I do think this is the moment to "pause, and reconsider" all future actions regarding Pinterest.

Riley Noehren, an IP/Internet lawyer and maker, has allowed me to repeat his insight into the fine print of Pinterest, the baffling mumbo jumbo that is hard to decipher or understand.

Below is the opinion of Rily Noehren:"I'm a Etsy member and an IP/Internet lawyer. Part of my job is to draft website terms for my clients, and this is a pretty standard provision. It is necessary for Pinterest to have this license in order to be able to run its website. You will find similar provisions in the termsof any website where the user can upload content. For example, Facebook's terms include the following:

"For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it."

"There are a few key limitations to what Pinterest is doing:1. It is just a license, not an assignment of rights. You keep the rights to your photos, etc. Pinterest just has a right to use them in a limited context.2. The license only extends to things related to the website.3. The license only covers the content you upload, such as your photos, not the crafts themselves.4. The license only extends to Pinterest, not other Pinterest users for use off the website.

If you noticed that Facebook's license ends when you delete your account,but Pinterest's is irrevocable, that is because the whole idea of Pinterest is for others to repost your photos. Again, this is really necessary in order to make Pinterest work. However, it doesn't hurt to remember before you upload anything that it will be there forever."

"It is important to remember that even if a website is "free," there is still a cost for using it--namely, your agreement to be bound by the terms and privacy policy. I think if most Etsians were to weigh the costs and risks associated with Pinterest, the balance would still favor using Pinterest because it is an excellent, low or no-cost marketing tool. However, each person needs to make that decision for themselves based on the type of work they do."

Riley NoehrenIP/Internet lawyer

Harriete says:I agree that it is very difficult to understand the fine print Terms of Use. On every site the terms are written by lawyers paid by the internet site provider to protect the site, not the artists using the site. Ultimately, each person has to decide what is the balance between risk and benefit.

The concern all round by artist and makers is proper attribution of their work.By attribution I mean name of the artist and possibly a link to their web site.To investigate this problem, I searched for my work on Pinterest.

I found my work on Pinterest under searches for "Harriete Estel Berman" and "harriete-estel-berman". Not all images had my name in the description. Most of the images don't even have any description, let alone a full and accurate description. Very few included links to my web site. A lot of the images were from blogs, photo sharing sites such as Flickr, or on line interviews but most did not link back to my web site or this blog, ASK Harriete.

The impact: visibility for my work, but not necessarily traffic for my web site or blog.

While this doesn't make me happy, I am not sure how it hurts me or my work. It isn't as good as it could be, but there are many other things that could be worse. And there are some serious issues yet to be addressed.

A BIG CONCERN PUBLICLY discussed is the source of the images.

Investigating and experimenting, I have made a discovery. If you keep clicking on a Pinterest image it goes back to its original source, maybe.

The first Click goes to the person who last pinned the image.

Next CLICK goes to where ever the person found the image.

So the source of the image can be discovered after all!

OOPS...the unfortunate aspect is that this doesn't work all the time. Sometimes clicking on an image goes back to an empty Google search box with no original source. So I would like to recommend that if you find an image on Google Image Search, try to find an original source for the image.

Taking the image directly off Google, makes Clicking back to the original source for the image impossible. Or or at least that is what I think is happening since it goes back to a blank Google page with no information, and no links or resources.

another problem:If people download your image, then upload the pinned image from their computer, there is no source for the image.

What about screen capture an image? Then create an image on their computer to upload. There is no source for that either!

I think an important issue is how we, the arts community will offer a better description and acknowledgement for the images, with possible photo credit and additional information. We can't complain about others unless we take responsibility for ourselves.

Are you carefully posting images as a resource for others with complete information?

Are you carefully posting your own work with a complete description including your own name? That was a real shocker when I realized that including my name in the description was necessary because people might repin the work. Thus my images could be traveling far from my own pin boards.

Interest in Pinterest is explosive. I heard it is the first social network to reach 10 million visitors a month. There is a lot of analysis of this dynamic new site,For artists and makers there is a huge opportunity to share your work. Lots of possibilities, but I'll skip to the big issue for artists and makers.

The huge concern is appropriate attribution. The concern is that images of art or craft may travel around, pinned and repinned without proper attribution to the artist/maker. Addressing this concern there are rumors, suggestions, proposals that artists and makers might decide to watermark their images.

I do not like Watermarks in photos.As a result, I am not going to watermark my photos and ruin the image because of others' irresponsible behavior.That is my opinion at the moment...but on the other hand, can't we all join together, work together, post together protecting each other with appropriate attribution?

Here is where everyone, yes, EVERYONE needs to take responsibility for posting images with complete descriptions.

Please, please, please, can we all make Pinterest the best it can be. Honor the creativity behind the images with complete information.

Learning about Pinterest is always a revelation as they continue to modify their policies and Pin Etiquette.

After some hours of experimentation, I can share several tips to help you become a "Pinner" and take advantage of some of the unique features of Pinterest that are different from other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The great realization is that Pinterest is a natural website for artists and makers since it is image based. Artist/makers can post images of anything and everything we love. It could be like a sketchbook of inspiration or function for self promotion. I do however have several reservations and concerns which will be discussed here.

Top priority is to always always, always include a link to the original source for the image.

Credit Your SourcesPins are most useful when they have links back to the original source. If you discover a pin that is not sourced correctly, leave a comment so that the original pinner can update the source. Finding the original source is always preferable to a secondary source such as Google Image Search or a blog entry.

Include as much information as available about the image in the text box with your original pin. This is your only chance to include the appropriate information including the artist's name, description, and photo credit with the image.

COMMENTS DO NOT TRAVEL WITH THE IMAGE: An unfortunate aspect is that your comment does not travel with the image if it is repinned. Thus efforts to include additional information about the image or a link to the original source (in the comment) will only be on that particular page. No where else. Test this yourself. Comments do not travel with the image.

PIN ETHICALLY AND LEGALLY My recommendation is to never pin an image that is not already posted on the internet. In other words, I do not scan a photographic image from a book or magazine for the purpose of pinning an image. I figure that if the artist wanted the image online they would have alrealy put it on the web, and I do not have permission ethically or legally to scan the image from a publication.

I also do not pin from an artist's web site, but only from commercial sites or design blogs where it can be presumed that the artist/maker/designer is prepared to have their image travel on the internet to unpredictable locations on Pinterest. Why else would they have posted images of their work on such high traffic locations?

Do NOT repin an image if there is no original source (link) for the image. This is just continuing to repeat a poor quality pin.Do NOT repin images if the information is incomplete, or inaccurate.

Follow the Pinterest precept BE Nice. It seems to be the only Pin Etiquette that remains consistent despite the whims of fashion.

You can combine your Pinterest with Facebook and Twitter. You can decide to automatically post your Pin on Facebook or Twitter as shown below.

This is a "Settings". HOVER on your NAME. A drop down menu appears. CLICK on settings. SCROLL DOWN CLICK ON THE BUTTONs to make your selection.

THE PRICE BANNER PROBLEM.

A Dollar sign with numbers in the text box automatically puts a banner across the top left corner (shown above). I think it looks tacky. The banner goes across your image and puts the price as a prominent feature. Does everything have to be about price?

Including a price in the description text is an option. Use words such as "Retail Price". This is shown below.

Descriptions are limited to 500 words. So keep that in mind.

You don't need to follow a person, but you can FOLLOW one of their Boards. Just CLICK on the FOLLOW BUTTON (as shown below). You can also UNFOLLOW any time.

I tried the test for my web site and blog, ASK Harriete, . . . and then learned the harsh reality - my web site needs work.

What distinguished this web site testing service is that it does not present a simplistic single numberical value indicating the overall effectiveness of your site. Instead, SiteBeam measures many factors with a score.

The free test offers information on multiple categories:

broken links

content keywords

headings

printability

twitter

W3C compliance

social interest

stylesheets

broken files

incoming links

spelling

poplularity

url format

link states

freshness

search engine results

facebook

readability

analytics

alternative text

speed

visual interest

image usage

links

search ranking

The free test examined my main directory pages, not the complete web site (I have a lot of pages), but it offered enough information that I have weeks of work to do to improve my web site. I also ran my blog ASK Harriete through the free test.

While I am a rank amateur in web design and SEO (Search Engine Optimization), this test raised my awareness for many SEO evaluation standards. I didn't know that links from social networks, spelling, titles, headers, or image ALT text (descriptions of your images) had such important impact in evaluating my site. (Since this was a free test, many results were withheld.) Still, I have lots of information to work with in the next weeks.

Have you noticed that Google+ is coming up at the top of the GOOGLE search results?

Really? Yes, really. I just began to realize it last week. The Google+ at the top of search results for my name is completely disproportionate to the infrequent activity on my Google+ account (which I hardly ever use).

Well now I have a explanation from Ariane in the comments on this post (below). The skewed search result only happens when you search for yourself when you're logged into Google. This is very good to know! Now I wonder what happens when people do a search and they are logged into Google+?

Either way, this has forced me to take action. My Google+ profile has to be better if people might click there before my web site....YIKES!!!!!!!!

So this is what I recommend to get a handle on this new social networking platform.

So if you feel a bit like a dinosaur and wonder how you will ever catch up to the social media platforms, Lynda.com has quick and easy tutorial video clips. Keep in mind that each one of these social media platforms links to your web site which is important to attract "link juice" to your web site and improve SEO. Evaluation of your web site even includes how many times your web site is "mentioned" and Like-ed on social media platforms.(More on this aspect soon.)

Let me know if you want me to explain more about how to link your Google+ to Facebook and Twitter. Otherwise, find me on Facebook.

Guess what! There are several ways that we can talk about art business development for artists and makers.

UPCOMING on JANUARY 5th.Please join me in conversation, questions and answers on Jay Whaley Blog Talk radio. If you "register" you can participate in the live chat room. Or phone up and ask Harriete your questions. Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 3:00pm (Pacific time). This interview can respond directly to your questions and is relevant to artists and makers working in all media.

To keep current, I follow several newsletters and blogs to learn more about SEO and Internet issues.

How else can I learn the secrets to traveling on the Internet at light speed in my studio? These resources (listed below) are a great way to build your Internet marketing and business savvy. No one has to read them all, just pick and choose depending on your time and energy, or save the link for a later date.

Go ahead, sign up for their newsletters, none of them costs a penny.

UPDATE as of 2015: SEO has changed dramatically in the last 3-4 years. The best SEO practices of 2015 are based on quality, authentic content, and website that works for your customers/readers.

Many of the web sites and newsletters I recommended in 2011 are outdated or obsolete so I have updated this post.

Your primary guide should be Google Webmasters and Bing Webmasters. Register with both sites and look around. This doesn't cost you anything except some time.

Today's post about tagging your images is by Brigitte Martin, curator, book author and administrator of Crafthaus. Martin begins by taking us on a rescue mission to stress the importance of tagging your images on the Internet. Will your images be lost on the Internet? Are they drowning in an ocean of information?

Note: The opinions expressed by the author, Brigitte Marin, in this post are hers and hers alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ASKHarriete or Harriete Estel Berman. No endorsement or refutation is implied. **************

Imagine you are a military helicopter pilot charged with a rescue mission in the choppy seas off of Wales. (Prince William of England generously offered to be our model for this edifying story. Thanks, Will.)

Someone fell off a fishing boat and is now missing at sea.Prince Willilam must find this person within minutes. (If he does this right, he can keep gallivanting around England a bit longer with the new wife. If he fails, he’ll need to return to London and sit in the rain for 3 dreadfully long parades with grandma.)

So Will decides he doesn’t enjoy parades all that much after all, waves bye-bye to Kate and takes off to find the lost sailor.

And this is what he sees: Water.

A great big sea of water. Lots of it and then some more. The minutes are ticking by and he just can’t find the person he needs to save.

Then finally, after 29 minutes, Will sees something. A bright orange spot in the wide open sea! Brilliant. The sailor can now be rescued by our hero!

Will goes home and tells his grandmother that she’ll have to ask someone else to sit through the parades.

The End. Well, almost....Now, what on earth is the point of this story?

Imagine: Instead of royal Will on a rescue mission, there’s a charming, good looking and very smart editor/curator out there (theoretically speaking, it’s no one we would know personally) who absolutely urgently needs to find a photo of one of your pieces on the Internet for a groundbreaking story she wants to write about you and your work! But the photo our editor is looking for is - literally - lost at sea.

Brigitte Martin's frank lecture about success was inspiring. I'd like to share a nugget here on ASK Harriete. Brigitte Martin is an organizer, mentor and leader of Crafthaus. During her 10-minute PowerPoint presentation Brigitte asked us: "What’s the meaning of success?"

She continued....A common problem people have is understanding that there is a difference between a “goal” and a “wish.”

Let’s look at some of the answers artists give when asked what “success“ means to them, or in other words what they want from their lives. Most of them will tell you that they want:

to be happier,

to have a better job,

to have more money,

to have less worries,

to loose a few pounds,

to be as successful as so and so - generally speaking.

Please note that all these are general wishes that many people have. But if you look at them closely, you will see that these are NOT goals which would help you to be successful.

Now I know, this sounds so uninspired, so boring, so accountant-like, so not artistic. But bear with me for a minute and let me make clear what measurable goals are and you will see how they can apply to your work and lead to a certain measure of success. In the business world the saying goes: “If you can’t measure it, you don’t know what you have.”

There are four things everyone can measure:

quantity

quality

cost (on or off budget)

timeliness/ deadline

To give you a very simple example, setting a clear and measurable goal for success would be: “By December 31st, I will have photographed all of my artwork that I created this year.”

Not only is this a very practical and useful goal (after all we know from the most recent Professional Development Seminar** that having good photography is absolutely essential) but by putting yourself under a deadline you create a measurable goal (in this case “timeliness/deadline”).

Obviously, all kinds of goals can be created regarding quantity, quality, cost and deadline. When Dec. 31 rolls around and you look at your photos you will realize that you have indeed photographed everything. You then know that you have achieved this particular goal of yours, and the beauty of this one is that it will continue to help you being successful because you now have these images at the ready and can send them out to promote yourself at any time.

Here are some other examples of practical goals that everyone can set. Look at your work as if you were actually running it as a “business.”

Create deadlines for yourself to do the following:

get serious about bookkeeping, record keeping,

get serious about your time management (don’t hang out on the internet all day),

get serious about your photography,

get serious about your marketing efforts (print and online),

get serious about your gallery relationships,

get very serious about the quality of your artwork.

Goal setting works wonderfully as a measure of success because it helps you stay focused in your daily life.

Setting a goal will lead you and direct you toward the place you want to end up.

Write your goals down and keep them handy at your desk or workplace where you can see them every day as a constant reminder.

Brigitte knows what she is talking about. Prior to starting Crafthaus she ran two galleries. If you haven't visited Crafthaus, this is a social network for artists and makers in all media. There are online exhibitions, public discussions, blogs and portfolios of artwork on each profile. All images are approved or disallowed by Brigitte's discerning eye to keep quality high. Join Crafthaus to participate with this community.

**The Professional Development Seminar is organized each year by Harriete Estel Berman, Andy Cooperman, and Brigitte Martin for the annual SNAG Conference. This is open to the public for a $40 fee payable at the door. This year the PDS will be held in Phoenix, AZ on May 26, 2012.

Notes: The first four images were taken directly from Brigitte Martin's PowerPoint courtesy of Brigitte Martin.

The Measure of Success measuring cup was my image.

What’s the meaning of success?

A common problem people have is understanding that there is a difference between a “goal” and a “wish.” Let’s look at some of the answers artists give when asked what “success“ means to them, or in other words what they want from their lives. Most of them will tell you that they want:

to be happier,

to have a better job,

to have more money,

to have less worries,

to loose a few pounds,

to be as successful as so and so - generally speaking.

Please note that all these are general wishes that many people have. But if you look at them closely, you will see that these are NOT goals which help you to be successful. So what then is a goal? Quite simply put:

A goal means “to have specific strategies and MEASURABLE objectives.”

Now I know, this sounds so uninspired, so boring, so accountant-like, so not artistic. Butbear with me for a minute and let me make clear what measurable goals are and you will see how they can apply to your work and lead to a certain measure of success.

In the business world the saying goes: “If you can’t measure it, you don’t know what you have.” There are 4 things everyone can measure:

-quantity

-quality

-cost (on or off budget)

-timeliness/ deadline

To give you a very simple example, setting yourself a clear and measurable goal for success would be:

“By December 31st, I will have photographed all of my artwork that I created this year.”

Not only is this a very practical and useful goal (after all we know from the most recent PDS that having good photography is absolutely essential) but by putting yourself under a deadline you create a measurable goal (in this case “timeliness/deadline”). --Obviously, all kind of goals can be created regarding quantity, quality, cost and deadline.

When Dec. 31 rolls around and you look at your photos you will realize that you have indeed photographed everything. You then know that you have achieved this particular goal of yours, and the beauty of this one is that it will continue to help you being successful because you now have these images at the ready and can send them out to promote yourself at any time.

Here are some other examples of practical goals that everyone can set:

Look at your work as if you were actually running it as a “business.” Create deadlines for yourself to do the following:

get serious about book keeping, record keeping,

get serious about your time management (don’t hang out on the internet all day),

get serious about your photography,

get serious about your marketing efforts (print and online),

get serious about your gallery relationships,

get very serious about the quality of your artwork.

Goal setting works wonderfully as a measure of success because it helps you stay focused in your daily life. Setting a goal will lead you and direct you toward the place you want to end up. Write your goals down and keep them handy at your desk or workplace where you can see them every day as a constant reminder.

The Professional Development Seminar from the 2011 SNAG Conference was recorded and is available for listening and viewing!

Now you can see the same presentations and hear what our niche marketing experts had to say. I enjoyed the real time events but learned even more when I was editing the audio....and I think you will too! Here are a few highlights, (then scroll down for the SlideShare presentation with audio).

Alexander Girard mid-20th centurydolls sold to adults were a stylistic influence on Hilary Pfeiffer new line of wedding toppers.Photo from H.Pfeifer PowerPoint.

Our first speaker, Hilary Pfiefer, describes her "Bunny with a Tool Belt" line that keeps her going in this tough economy.

Hilary explains that her childhood interests evolved into her wedding cake toppers sold on Etsy(left photos). She says these are among the few things that people keep and display in their homes after the wedding. Every one of her wedding cake toppers delights...check out success by looking at Bunny with a ToolBelt!

Next up, the Professional Development Seminar continues with emiko oye. Watch the SlideShare and take notes. No matter what your medium or style, emiko offers solid information that translates to success from gallery exhibitions to Etsy.

emiko's TOP five tipsfor Getting Your Business Out There!

1. Professional Quality PhotographyThis is THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP for getting exposure for your business. First impressions are everything so why not wow people's socks off from the get go!

2.Take Risks Don't Get STUCK: BalanceEven though you may sell a ton of one design in one style, don't get stuck just putting all your focus on making the same thing over and over.

Balance: I'm a staunch believer in making important exhibition pieces (right images) as well as production, ready-to-wear. The exhibition work definitely helps sell the production work and gives broader exposure.

3. Take Note & Be AccessiblePay attention to how people respond to your work, feedback helps define your niche market. Be Accessible: means have a web presence. As I've said in my lecture, "If you aren't online, you don't exist". Get involved in social media with Facebook, Twitter, and Crafthaus.

All jewelry (above right) by emiko oye from repuprosed LEGOS The Tire Earrings are included in new Lark book 21st Century Jewelry

4. Be Ready Set Go!When opportunity strikes, you must be ready with line sheets, images, bios, and artist statements. Flickr and your web site are great for being ready for the press.

5. Get Involved. While we love to hole ourselves up in the studio and make to our hearts content, it's important to get involved in your community, local, & national arts organizations.

emiko is posting a more detailed information about each tip on her blog this week.

Our third Niche Marketing speaker, Deb Stoner, has a multi prong approach to support herself which includes teaching workshops in eyeglass fabrication, custom designing and fabrication for Donna Karan, along with her jewelry & photography. She keeps it fresh by being open to opportunity. Read the Handout Deb created for the PDS about Niche Marketing. Download DebStoner_Final

The Professional Development Seminar was organized by Andy Cooperman, Brigitte Martin and myself, Harriete Estel Berman. We had a strong program brimming with information and over 500 attendees but the Internet offers the opportunity to share this programming with a much larger audience.

Please feel empowered to share this SlideShare or post on ASK Harriete with your fellow artists and makers (with proper attribution, of course). If you want the HTML code to paste this NICHE MARKETING SlideShare into your own blog, web site or organization newsletter, just write to me at: bermaid [at] harriete-estel-berman [dot]info. It is super easy to do.

Our sponsors include theNEA, National Endowment for the Arts, MJSA, and SNAG. Stay tuned for more SlideShare presentations with audio from our PDS programming.

Here is what works for me. Audacity is rather self-explanatory so I never read any instructions....or listened to any presentations, but perhaps it would be advisable. Take advantage of the free software download to make your audio recording.

My first step when adding audio is to write a script. While it is not necessary to read every word exactly, a script improves your recording significantly and eliminates a lot of editing. A script saves time!

1. Upload your PowerPoint to SlideShare2. Upload your audio MP3 file to SlideShare 3. Synchronize the advancement of images with the audio. This is very easy to do.

SlideShare is a great site for creating professional quality presentations about your art or craft.

For example, I recommended that my daughter upload her portfolio and talk about her design objectives as a SlideShare presentation. What an easy way to have an online link for your resume as a new graduate on a job hunt.

It's summer! Are you ready to jump in to new ways to share your work with a larger audience?

AFTER you download both Audacity and LAME MP3 Encoder, you are ready to start recording with your headset/microphone.

It takes some trial and error to become proficient. The image above is what the Audacity editing software looks like on my computer. As you record, you will see the recording as the squiggly blue line.

With a little practice you start identifying what words look like. I am editing the Professional Development Seminar recording from the Seattle SNAG Conference.

It is interesting that you can start to see "uhmmmmmsss", "Ahhhhsss", and "annnnddddssss". They are called "audible pauses" and your recording will sound a lot better by editing out audible pauses, stutters, and external noises (like a cough).

If you don't know how to use PowerPoint, a final tutorial is below. It's a little dry, but it offers a good beginning. One more hint: if you are planning to UPLOAD your presentation to SlideShare, do not add animations or fancy slide transitions....they don't work on SlideShare.